Police seize 70 items from protesters

Following an emergency order from Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle police said they seized about 70 items from protesters which could have been used to damage property or wielded as weapons.

According to a post on SPD’s online “blotter,” the items included metal sign poles, sharpened wooden stakes, screw topped wooden staffs and a corrugated metal barrier with jagged edges. One device appeared to be built of a bunch of cigarette lighters taped together.

The items were taken after McGinn issued a civil emergency proclamation Tuesday afternoon, giving police the authority to confiscate weapons or anything that could be “reasonably perceived” as a weapon from people in the downtown area.

About The Today File

The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and includes stories from The Associated Press and McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.